Yeasts are part of the fungi kingdom. The first yeast originated hundreds of millions of years ago, and as of today we know at least 1,500 species. How can we adapt the metabolism of yeasts to make them perform better? Alongside hosts Emma van der Leest and Mark Slegers, experts Peter Sseguya (Team GENAB), Hilla van der Kaa (Those Vegan Cowboys) join the conversation.

Natural fibers will replace many synthetic materials and bioneers throughout the Netherlands are looking for methods to separate lignin and cellulose. By using enzymes, many polluting catalytic processes can be replaced. How can cell technology be used to make new materials? Enzymes are very expensive, although they are produced by nature itself: the mycelium of mushrooms contains many active enzymes. Can we use enzymes as one of the building blocks of the future biodesigner: in this meet-up we talk about how we can use these beauties and how to avoid high costs researching them.

Listen back to the conversation Natasha Hulst (Biomimicry Institute) and Nick van Biezen had with experts Fabiola Polli (BioFashionTech) and Dasha Tsapenko (Atelier Dasha Tsapenko)

The How to Biodesign meetups are made possible with the support of  the creative industries fund NL/Stimuleringsfonds Creatieve Industrie.

Biomaterials like mycelium and kombucha leather are often not water-resistant and therefore need a coating. Biopolymers like beeswax or natural rubbers provide solutions, yet fungi can also provide an interesting coating for biomaterials. How can designers apply these innovations, and how do you choose or develop a coating?

Host: Yophi Ignacia

Co-host: Anna Wetzel (15fingers.online)

Experts:

The How to Biodesign meetups are made possible with the support of  the creative industries fund NL/Stimuleringsfonds Creatieve Industrie.

Traditional cosmetics can be harmful for nature and your skin. Natural cosmetics are an alternative that uses ingredients available in nature. But it can even go further than that, by enlisting the help of microbes to create sustainable alternatives to polluting ingredients. How do we design a production & usage system for these natural bio cosmetics? Let's find out with host Yophi Ignacia, co-host Yeliz Mert, and experts: Karin Berkoudt (Kusala) & Shara Ticku (C16 Biosciences).

The How to Biodesign meetups are made possible with the support of  the creative industries fund NL/Stimuleringsfonds Creatieve Industrie.

Lab equipment is often expensive and there's already a lot of machines out there that, with a little modification, can perform the function needed to support your experiment. How and where can you find tips & tricks to make those modifications - and most importantly - how do you do this safely? Let's find out with hosts Emma van der Leest and Andes Vreeken and experts Daniel Grushkin (Biodesigned & Genspace) and Kuang-Yi Ku (TW BioArt).

The How to Biodesign meetups are made possible with the support of  the creative industries fund NL/Stimuleringsfonds Creatieve Industrie.

🦞An invasive species is an introduced organism that becomes overpopulated and negatively alters its new environment. Although their ability to multiply quickly is often seen as a negative property, there might be instances where we could benefit from this. How can we use these unwanted guests as raw materials for circular solutions and add value to their vigor? Let's find out with: Host Yophi Ignacia, Co-host Marit Scheulderman and speakers: Alexandra Fruhstorfer & Erik van Schaften.

The How to Biodesign meetups are made possible with the support of  the creative industries fund NL/Stimuleringsfonds Creatieve Industrie.

🌿 CO2 absorbing materials: a claim that more and more producers connect to their product. Most of the time this refers to a product’s entire life cycle, but can it also be circular? Various designers, scientists and entrepreneurs work on such materials. And in this meet-up we higlight two of them: one made from longlasting wood, and the other made from a fast-growing crop. With: Host Natasha Hulst & Co-host Sven Jense (Co-founder of the Climate Cleanup) Rik Ruigrok: Circulair Executive Officer at Herso Circulaire Houtbewerkers & Stijntje Jaspers, Co-founder of Fibershed.

The How to Biodesign meetups are made possible with the support of  the creative industries fund NL/Stimuleringsfonds Creatieve Industrie.

🌿 For the insulation of our houses, natural materials are often forced to have exactly the same properties as the fossil variant. However, old crafts and new materials often require a different approach. How, for example, can we use mycelium and biomimicry to look at challenges such as insulation? Lets find out with: Mark Slegers, Jennifer de Jonge, Thomas Pijnenborgh & Arnoud Hanenburg. 

The How to Biodesign meetups are made possible with the support of  the creative industries fund NL/Stimuleringsfonds Creatieve Industrie.

☀️During this meetup we will talked about what it means to have a regenerative mindset towards design and what that entails. And we will looked at Permaculture as the base of a family of regenerative design methods like Biomimicry together with: Natasha Hulst,  Ellie Banwell and Daniel Christian Wahl. 

The How to Biodesign meetups are made possible with the support of  the creative industries fund NL/Stimuleringsfonds Creatieve Industrie.

☀️When focussing on solar energy, we can list the possibilities from nature. How do bioneers use these possibilities in their designs and how to tackle challenges like durability and storage when using living materials to harvest solar energy? Listen back to the stories of: Huub de Groot: Professor of Biophysical organic chemistry & PhD. Miguel Mayorga: CEO of @greenfluidics, a Mexican startup, developing revolutionary solar biopanels that use microalgae and nanofluids.

The How to Biodesign meetups are made possible with the support of  the creative industries fund NL/Stimuleringsfonds Creatieve Industrie.